The Mysterious Death of Frankie Foster
by duck2k
Summary: I finally finished the final chapter. Enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1

**The Mysterious Death of Frankie Foster**

**Synopsis: **When a role playing game becomes deadly for the Foster's crew, it becomes an intense murder mystery. However, things are not what they seem…or are they?

**Introduction: **Frankie Foster loved her breaks and hourly lunches. On this day, instead of eating fast food with her friend Kathy, the redhead was roaming a city park playing a video game she borrowed from Mac. "No wait!" Frankie exclaimed as her fingers traveled quickly over the buttons, "ahhh there we go - back in the saddle!" Her green eyes were zipping rapidly back and forth to the game's little screen. "I almost have it…" she angled the game downward as she entered a heavily wooded area. The twenty-two year old woman was not aware of her bearings, as she continued to play the game with much ferocity. "There it is," Frankie yelled triumphantly, "I beat Macs score - BOOYAH!" For the first time, Frankie was aware of her surroundings, and she turned around and proceeded to head back to the more populated area of the park. "Boy will Mac be annoyed when he sees…YOU!"

"Hello Frankie…"

**Chapter 1**

What on earth happened?" Mac asked a tearful Blooregard Q. Kazoo (his imaginary friend). Bloo was still in shock, but he managed to croak, "follow me. Oh this is so terrible." Wilt was in the foyer when Mac and Bloo entered the famous home for imaginary friends. "Mac, how did you get past the yellow crime taped area out front?"

"I had to come through the back of the property; what is going on?"

"Oh things are not okay," Wilt replied in a choked up voice, "you need to see for yourself." The two friends lead Mac down to the large basement.

When the trio approached the large furnace area, there were several police officers, photographers, and imaginary friends milling about. Flashes were going off, and Mac could see a teary eyed Madame Foster talking to a plain clothes policeman. Eduardo, Co-co, Duckman, Jackie Khones, and Eurotrish were among the sobbing friends crowded around the elderly woman. Mac looked in the direction of all the camera flashes, and saw what the hullabaloo was all about.

The only person that was oblivious to all the activity in the basement was Frankie Foster. She lay dead on the floor sprawled with one arm over her head. Her face was ashen and her eyes were open halfway. The once lovely emeralds looked like those of a dead fish and glazed over. Her mouth was open slightly. Whatever happened to her, must have happened very quickly.

Mac turned away and bent over to heave. Duckman stepped forward to comfort the eight year old. "I am sorry about this Mac. Do you need help"

"Help me to the foyer bathroom," Mac gasped. The two made their way upstairs. "Mac does not look so good."

"Would you look good if you lost someone very close to you?" Eurotrish said.

"Not at all," Wilt replied in a sheepish voice.

"I know I wouldn't," chimed in Ed, as he wiped away another tear.

Madame Foster kneeled by her granddaughter's body, "was it murder Lieutenant Woolwine?" She was looking up at the policeman with tear stained eyes. Lieutenant Frank Woolwine knelt down beside the grief stricken woman. "I am sure it was murder Martha," he replied, "there is a very fine hole in her neck below the base of her skull. There was no blood except for a tiny bit around that hole. There is a drop of blood on the front of her hoodie; until the coroner does an autopsy, I can only speculate." Madam Foster put her fingers on her granddaughter's eyelids and closed the redhead's eyes, "rest easy dearie," she said as fresh tears filled her eyes.

You feeling better?" Duckman asked Mac after he towled his hands. "Yes, Mac answered, "I think so."

"What a heck of a day," Duckman said, "Frankie left for her lunch hour and never returned."

"Did she go eat with Kathy?"

"No," Duckman answerd, "and that is the funny part. She normally goes with Kathy on their hour lunches together. Someone said she went to the park instead."

"The park?"

"Yeah; and according to a witness, she had a video game in her hand."

"That is mine," Mac said, "and I loaned that to her." Duckman removed his ASU ballcap (which he wore backwards), and scratched his head. "What really stinks is the fact nobody saw Frankie for several hours after she was to return, and lo-and-behold, Jackie Khones finds Frankie's body in the basement."

"What was he doing down there?"

"Who knows?" Duckman shrugged his shoulders.

"Duckman," Mac said, "Lieutenant Woolwine is right - it was murder, and I am going to prove it."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I am conducting a little investigation of my own," Mac Answered, "I do not want anyone to know except yourself and Bloo. I will grieve later, I should put my sorrow to a good use of energy. Let's start with the body."

"They might have taken it away already," Duckman pointed out. Mac took Duckman by the wing and walked him over to one of the windows, "the van is not here…yet."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

By the time Mac and Duckman were back to the crime scene, Madam Foster was gone, and Lieutenant Woolwine was nowhere in sight. Other policemen were still milling around, and now an elderly gentleman with a walrus mustache and white coat was kneeling beside Frankie's body. He had on latex gloves and had turned the dead girl's head and was examining her neck. "So what does it look like?" Mac asked. The man looked up, "who are you?"

"Just family."

"Until I do an autopsy," the man replied, "I cannot really speculate."

Judging by the nature of the wound," Mac said, "it looks like someone shoved an icepick, or something finer to sever her spinal cord."

"Eh? Maybe," the coroner got up, "step aside son." He walked over to uniformed police officer, and pointed to Frankie, and then towards outside. The policeman nodded, and made his way toward the stairs.

Mac looked down on the lifeless Frankie, and noticed something on the front of her grreen hoodie. There was a little splotch of blood. "Hmmm," Mac observed, "interesting." Frankie's hoodie was open to reveal her Powerpuff Girls T-shirt, and her bare belly. Mac looked closer along the zipper, and noticed another splotch of blood there. He scratched his head. "you find something?" Duckman asked.

"Okay," Mac answered, "Frankie was stabbed from behind. If the wound I saw was fine and round, we would assume she was definitely stabbed with a sharpend icepick, or something long and fine."

"So what?"

"In the first place," Mac pointed out, "there would be very little or no blood. Furthermore, if there was blood, it should be on the back of her hoodie, not the front." Mac pulled out a penknife, and took a small portion of the bloodstained fabric, and put it in his pocket. "I will have to use Herriman's laboratory and have that fabric analyzed."

"You mean ol' stingy has a laboratory?" Duckman asked all wide eyed.

"Yup, but very people know about it. Let's get out of here. I have seen enough." Both he and the Duckman went upstairs.

Mac called Bloo, Co-co, Eduardo, Wilt, and Duckman into one of the many bedrooms at Fosters. He shut the door and faced the five figments, "Originally I was going to just brief Bloo and Duckman of the day's events. I decided to extend a hand to the rest of you here, because I trust you all implicitly." The five friends nodded. Mac pointed toward the window, "as you can see they are taking away someone who really touched our lives." Everyone on the room could see two men carrying the blanket covered gurney coming out of the basement entrance, and making their way toward a white van. The five figments started to hang their heads in sorrow.

"Okay guys," Mac stated, "I know this has been a tragic day for all of us. I am going to need your help, but if you want to back out now, I understand. Just do not tell any of the other IF's." The group nodded. "Good," Mac continued, "everyone here is in. I know for a fact Frankie was murdered. The way it was done, was to leave a very little or no mark readily visible on the body. Here is what we know," Mac pointed an index finger in the air, "first: Frankie goes on her lunch hour from work and NOT with Kathy, but to the park with the video game I loaned her. Second: Nobody sees hide nor hair of Frankie, until Jackie Khones disIcovers her body in the basement near the furnace. Third: I have a funny feeling that the splotch of blood on the front of her hoodie was not hers, but her killer's." The group of IF's all listened with wide eyes and gaping mouths. "This kid is good," Bloo whispered to Co-co out of the corner of his mouth.

"Pay attention Bloo!" Mac scolded.

"Real good," Bloo whispered to himself.

So here is what I want," Mac continued, "I want to question those individuals that would have a motive; both human and imaginary. I want those individuals to be ones that Frankie did not like."

"Does that include me?" Duckman asked

"No," Mac answered, "I mean never really liked. She liked you a lot after getting to know you." Duckman wiped his brow with relief. "Since Khones discovered the body," Mac said, "I think we should question him first. I also want Dylan, Chris (the pizza boy), and Goofball John Magee brought here as well."

"Why is that Senior Mac?" Eduardo asked.

"Because somewhere between the hours of noon and a little after three, a murder took place," Mac answered, "and somewhere between the park and the basement is a lot of miles to cover. Those individuals live within those miles."

"I thought Goofball was from Canada," Wilt said.

"The Magees bought a house here, because the father got tired of commuting to the Washington side to work from the Canadian side. So I heard anyway," Mac replied.

"Co-co, co-co, co-co?" Co-co asked.

"What do we do?" Mac answered, "okay I want you (pointing to Co-co), and Eduardo look around the entire park for anything suspicious. Wilt, I want you and Duckman to round up the individuals I want questioned. I will provide a list when this brief is over. I want to start with Jackie Khones." Both Duckman and Wilt nodded. "Bloo," Mac said, "you and I have a lot of work to do. Let's get our behinds up to Herriman's lab and analyze the bloodstained fabric I got off of Frankie's hoodie. Everyone has their assignments." Everyone left the room in different directions.

As Mac and Bloo started to dash up the stairs to the third floor, Madame Foster whistled to them, "no running in the house dearies." She motioned for them to approach her. As the pair were facing the little old woman, Madam Foster looked at Mac, "you have your detective cap on don't you."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Bloo asked. Madam Foster Beckoned Mac to come closer, "I hope you nail the person who killed my granddaughter." Mac had a shocked look on his face. "Don't worry," the elderly lady said, "I will not tell a soul." Mac smiled, then grabbed bloo. The pair scurried up the stairs to Herriman's lab.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Mac and Bloo were both on high stools handling beakers and other chemical implements. Mac was wearing safety glasses and latex gloves. He had taken a beaker off the bunson burner, and with a pair of tweezers, he was removing the fabric from it. Bloo was looking through a microscope, "boy you should see what a piece of my eyebrow hair looks like."

"Knock it off Bloo, and remove it from under there. I need to use it."

"Whateverrrrrr," Bloo said. Mac laid the fabric on a slide, then delicately placed it under the microscope. He proceeded to look through the lens, when there were loud voices outside the door, followed by the door crashing open. Mac looked up to see Eduardo with a tight grip on a frightened Dylan's collar. Co-co walked over to Mac and placed his video game on the table in front of him. "Senior Mac," Eduardo said, "we found Senior Dylan wandering around on the walkways playing your game."

"It is my game," Dylan blurted out, "I found it fair and square."

"Thanks for finding MY GAME," Mac corrected. He got down off the stool, and pointed to an old card table with four chairs in the corner of the lab, "sit him over there." Eduardo walked Dylan over to one of the chairs, and Dylan sat down. Mac grabbed another chair and sat down facing the frightened young man. Co-co turned on a flashlight and pointed it at Dylan's face. Dylan tried to cover his eyes. "Co-co," Mac said with a sigh, "that is not necessary."

"I'll say, "Dylan said, "what is wrong with you losers anyway?"

"Frankie was murdered today," Mac said as he drilled into Dylan with his eyes, "turns out my associates here found you wandering around in the park with my game. I loaned it to Frankie the other day, how did it wind up in your hands?"

"I told you," Dylan stammered, "I found it…Fffffrankie mmmmurdered? How?"

"We thought we would ask you the same question mister," Bloo said.

"Enough Bloo," Mac blurted. He faced Dylan again, "what were you doing in the park?"

"I was taking a stroll," Dylan answered, "I do not live far from the park, and I do a lot of walking to clear my mind."

"How did you find my video game?'

"I saw it laying on the walkway," Dylan answered, "so I picked it up just started to play on it. Frankie has the highest score, by the way."

"Eduardo, and Co-co," Mac said, "let's go to the park with Dylan here. You too Bloo."

"Why are we going the park?" Bloo asked. Mac grabbed his video game off the lab table, "because Dylan is going to show us where he found the game."

The walkway led to the heavily wooded area of the park. The group started entering the area of tall trees. At this point Dylan stopped walking, "it was right here I found the game." Mac handed the game to the young man, "show us exactly where." Dylan took the game and placed it on the walkway, "right here by this red splotch."

"Does that look like blood to you Mac?" A wide eyed Bloo asked.

"It sure does," Mac replied, and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a piece of tissue and his penknife. He delicately scraped some of the blood onto the tissue. He was going to test it alongside the blood on the fabric. "Let Dylan go Eduardo."

"Why Senior Mac," the hairy horned one asked.

"He wouldn't kill Frankie," Mac answered, "nor does he even have a motive."

"You are right about that," Dylan said, "can have the game back?"

"Don't think so Dylan, but thanks for finding it," Mac said. The sullen man walked away with his hands in his pockets.

Mac and Bloo were back in the lab, and Mac was looking into the microscope. It was well past eight at night. Bloo was entertaining himself by playing a mad scientist, "pass me a bottle of that CO2 Igor." Mac rolled his eyes, and continued with his analysis. There was a knock at the door. With his eye to the lens, Mac called out, "it is open - c'mon in!" In walked Duckman and Wilt, with Jackie Khones in between them eating a sandwich. "These two knuckleheads said you wanted to see me." Mac was still looking through the lens of the microscope, "what has he told you guys?"

"He says that he was playing hide and seek, and was trying to find a place to hide in the basement," Wilt replied.

"He went on to say that is when he found Frankie." Duckman added.

"And you believe that?" Mac asked.

"Aw c'mon Mac my man," the foot tall green stalk with an eyeball protested, "I have an airtight alibi! Ask Fluffernutter. She was playing too; so was Clumsy, Eurotrish, Big Baby, and Two Head Fred." Mac looked at Jackie and smiled, "Let him go fellas, and make sure you escort him to the kitchen and make him another sandwich."

"Boo-yah!" Khones exclaimed. The three IF's left the lab.

Mac went back to his microscope to continue with his analysis, while Bloo continued to play a mad scientist. Above the two, the clock read 9:18pm. "So how long is this analysis going to take?" Bloo asked. Mac pulled his head up from the lens, "Not sure; maybe I should call my mother and let her know I am here at Foster's and stay the night. Tomorrow is Saturday, so I am sure she will not mind." Bloo's face brightened up, "Saturday morning means awesome blueberry…"

"Frankie is dead Bloo," Mac reminded, "remember?"

"I forgot," Bloo said sullenly, "I am already missing that gal."

"Me too Bloo…me…hello! What have we here?" He pulled his head up from the microscope again, "hey Bloo check this out." Bloo put his face down to the lens.

"Now Bloo, let me put this slide under there…held on…" Mac switched the slides very carefully, "there…now what do you see?"

"the same thing."

"So would you not conclude we have a match?"

"I guess."

"So what that means Bloo," Mac said, "is we know this was not Frankie's blood on her hoodie, and on that walkway. I took a sample of Frankie's blood for a science project at school, and ran it against the blood on the fabric from her hoodie - no match. Therefore, I concluded someone else bled on both the hoodie and the walkway. Then when I ran the samples from the fabric and the walkway, we came up with a match. We can now conclude this blood belongs to her killer." Bloo stared at Mac with wide eyes.

"Don't look so surprised Bloo," Mac stated, "when we went back to the park and I had Dylan show us where he found the game, that told me Frankie was killed with that game in her hand. Now if the coroner or the police notice any possible scuff marks on Frankie's back, bottom, and shoes, they can conclude Frankie was murdered in the park, and her body was moved to the basement at Fosters."

"Wow," Bloo exclaimed, "that would be an incredible feat, and in daylight."

"That is what gets me," Mac said as he scratched his chin. Mac opened the lab door, "do me a favor, and stay here. I have to do two things; call my mom, and make another important phone call."

"To whom?"

"I will explain later," Mac replied as he dashed out the door. Bloo watched the door close, "he is definitely good."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Duckman and Wilt had Goofball seated in a chair, and were asking him questions while they took notes on legal pads. They were in the room Bloo, Wilt, Co-co, and Eduardo shared. "So you are telling me," Duckman said, "you did not know of Frankie's demise until later today?"

"Yeah when you guys told me," Goofball answered, "so uh…Frannie is like dead huh?"

"You could say that," Wilt said coldly.

"So why should I care if a human is dead," Goofball said shrugging his shoulders.

"You should care," Duckman said, "by your not caring, makes you even more a suspect."

"Lemme 'splain sumtin' to ya yellow feathers," Goofball said pointing an index finger at the imaginary fowl, "in the first place, Frannie and I settled our differences after my first visit to this house of pretendies. In the second place, I do not have a motive for doin' sumtin' of that proportion. And there is no way I could kill Frannie; that would be too immobile and stuff."

"You mean immoral," Wilt said.

"Yeah - that's it." Duck looked up to Wilt and shrugged his shoulders. Wilt responded by shrugging his. "Should we let him go?" Duckman asked.

"Might as well," Wilt answered. Goofball got up and started to head out the door.

"Be close Goofball," Duckman said after him, "we may need you again." Goofball turned and gave Wilt and Duckman the "okay" with his fingers.

Duckman closed the door and sat down in the very chair Goofball sat in. He wiped his brow with his ballcap. "Do you think he would do such a thing?" He asked Wilt. Wilt was pacing the room in thought, "I do not think so Duckman. Sure he was a stinker when he spent time here, someone like that would not kill Frankie."

"Let's see," Duckman said, "I interrogated Khones, Fluffernutter, Clumsy, Eurotrish, Big Baby, and Two Head Fred. They all corroborated their stories of playing hide and seek."

"Eduardo, and Coco caught Dylan at the park," Wilt said, "and brought him to Mac. It turns out he had the game Mac loaned Frankie. After questioning, Mac let Dylan go."

"I would not have let him off so easy," Duckman muttered.

"It is not your call," Wilt said softly.

"Well," Duckman said getting out of the chair, "let us go round up some more likelys." Both he and Wilt made their way to the foyer.

When both Duckman and Wilt were nearing the front door, there was a knock on it. Duckman opened the door. "Hiiiiiyeeeeee!" A redhead which looked a little like Frankie, entered with a little blonde girl in tow. Mac appeared in the foyer with Bloo at the same time. "Hi IF Frankie," Mac said as he gave the waving redhead a hug, "what are you and Melanie doing Here."

"Frankie wants to clean something," Melanie answered, "she has kept our house so clean, there is nothing left for her to do at the moment."

"Yepper," IF Frankie said, "we all know I love to clean."

"For reals?" Duckman asked sarcastically.

"Yes for reals silly!" Duckman rolled his eyes upward, "c'mon Wilt, let's go so what other suspects are available." They started out the door, and IF Frankie and Melanie started toward Herriman's office.

"WAIT!" Mac yelled with his index finger in the air. Everyone in the foyer froze. Mac regained his composure, "um Duckman and Wilt - see ya later. IF Frankie, would you come here a minute?"

"Okayeeee!" The figment approached Mac with great caution.

"Hold out your right hand," Mac instructed. IF Frankie started to stick her hand out when Mac grabbed it, and slowly started examining her pretty fingers.

"What are you on to?" Bloo asked. Mac was examining IF Frankie's middle finger, "that is a nasty cut you have," he observed.

"Isn't it though," IF Frankie cooed batting her eyelashes, got it earlier today."

"How?"

"I was cutting an apple for Melanie," IF Frankie replied. Mac let the IF's hand go, "did you wash your hands?"

"No, IF Frankie answered, "I did not think to."

"Hmmmm….," Mac mused.

"What does that have to do with her cut Mac?" Bloo thundered, "that is like me asking her, 'was there anyone besides Melanie with you today?'"

"Actually there was someone with us today," IF Frankie volunteered.

"Who?" Bloo sarcastically asked rolling his eyes.

"Amy," IF Frankie replied, "or Herriman says 'Miss Amy.'"

"She live near you and Melanie?" Mac asked.

"She lives in the apartment complex not far from my house," Melanie impatiently volunteered, "what are you doing with my friend?"

"Melanie," Mac said, "go hang out in the arcade room; Bloo, go after Duckman and Wilt, and bring them back here." Melanie headed in the direction of the arcade room, while Bloo dashed out the front door.

Mac had IF Frankie sit in one of the foyer chairs. Just then, Herriman's office opened and a young red haired woman who looked a lot like Frankie stepped out with the large IF rabbit. "Well thank you Mr. Herriman for giving me another chance to work here for the moment," Amy said shaking Herriman's gloved hand. "Do not mention it Miss Amy my dear," the rabbit replied in his Edwardian manner, "however, remember this is only temporary until a permanent solution can be found." They both proceeded toward the fron door until Mac blocked it.

"My word," Herriman said, "Master Mac what is the meaning of this?"

"Herriman," Mac instructed, "get Madame Foster - and call Lt Woolwine."

Mr. Herriman hesitated, "now Master Mac, there is no reason…"

"NOW!" Mac bellowed. Herriman skittered off to find Madam Foster. Amy stood there looking at Mac with her jaw dropped. Mac pointed to a second chair next to IF Frankie, "sit!"

"I am not your dog!" Amy said with her hands on her hips.

SIT DOWN NOW!" Mac once again bellowed. The redhead sat down sheepishly. She looked over to Imaginary Frankie, who shrugged her shoulders.

Just then a very tired Bloo puffed in through the front door with Duckman, and Wilt in tow. "I managed to catch up to them," Bloo huffed, "fortunately they did not get very far."

"We were just heading out the gate," Duckman said rolling his eyes.

"What is going on Mac?" Wilt asked, "is everything okay?"

"It will be," Mac said with a smile," I need you both to watch Amy and IF Frankie until Madame Foster, Mr. H, and Lt Woolwine arrive."

"No problemo," Wilt said. Mac approached IF Frankie and took her right hand. He grabbed her cut finger and ran a swab across it, causing it to bleed a little again. He then dipped the swab into the blood. "Hey Bloo, come with me to Herriman's lab." Both Mac and his blue companion dashed up the stairs.

IF Frankie stirred nervously in her chair, and looked again over at Amy. The other Frankie-look-alike gave her a mean look, and shook her head. Duckman jumped at the chance, "you guys know sumthin'!"

"I do not know what you are talking about," Amy shot back.

"Well whatever it is," Wilt said, "it is not okay." Amy shot the tall one-armed figment a dirty look.

"Sorry," Wilt apologized, "is that okay?"

**Chapter 5**

I know who killed Frankie," Mac announced to the crowd gathered in Herriman's office. Madame Foster, and Lieutenant Frank Woolwine were now present. "This had better be on hardcore evidence," Woolwine cautioned, "or there will be consequences."

"You do not have to worry Lieutenant," Mac said.

"He is very bright Frank," Madame Foster pointed out.

"As long as he has evidence," Woolwine answered.

Mac continued, "the killer had to be jealous of Frankie, and have knowledge of the park she was murdered at." There was a gasp among those gathered, and Mac pointed his index finger in the air, "yes! Frankie was murdered in the park - not the furnace room where her body was discovered by Jackie Khones." Jackie looked around at the others, who returned his look. Mac started pacing the floor in front of Herriman's desk, "she was killed, and her body was moved from the park to the furnace room of Foster's. I have not figured out how that was done, but I know who the killer, and the accomplice is. IF Frankie had cut her hand, and there was blood on the front of Frankie's hoodie, and the zipper. I assume that is how IF Frankie cut her hand helping the killer MOVE the body." IF Frankie started to fidget and she looked around the office nervously. Her gaze settled on Amy (the other Frankie look-a-like), who returned with an angry look and shaking her head.

Mac stepped up to IF Frankie, and point his finger in her face, "I assume you know who the killer is." IF Frankie broke out into a sweat, and smiled nervously, "why would I know who killed dear Frankie?" Mac did not waver, "I analyzed your blood IF Frankie - I know you helped the murderer move Frankie Foster's body." IF Frankie again looked nervously at Amy. Mac followed IF Frankie's gaze, "why are you looking at Amy? Did she do it?" Mac turned and stepped toward Amy, "yes she did! There you have…

"WAIT!" Lieutenant Woolwine roared, "this is the most…

************************************************************************

"…ridiculous thing I had ever heard!" Frankie exclaimed. She stood up from the computer, "come on Mac, this role computer game is stupid. I mean, Herriman having a full DNA lab? Miss Amy, who actually is a sweetheart, killing me. IF Frankie here being an accomplice." Mac was seated at the computer with Bloo, and IF Frankie. He hung his head, "okay so the game had some flaws."

"And the way you made me lying dead," Frankie continued with her hands in the air, "that was totally macabre!"

"I thought it was interesting," Bloo said.

"Can it Blooregard!" Frankie snapped. She looked over at IF Frankie, "why on earth did you want me to be the victim in this game?"

"Because I am always the victim in Mac's other silly games," IF Frankie shot back.


End file.
